Tag Archives: press sample

Spring 2016 Collection – daniPRO Nails | Review

19 Sunday Jun 2016

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Press Sample

 

IMG_2163I was recently contacted by a PR agency I’ve worked with in the past to test and review a new-to-me brand called “daniPRO”. According to the PR statement, this brand is innovative because it was created by podiatrist, Dr. Gary Evans. daniPRO lacquers are 4-free (meaning they do not contain toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and DBP). However, upon closer inspection, I noticed these nail polishes do contain camphor, which is considered a toxin making daniPRO’s “free of toxins” statement website not completely true.

The stand-out ingredient in these polishes is undecylenic acid which helps prevent fungus. It is also important to note the fine print on both the bottle and website that say this ingredient is “not effective on nails”. What does that even mean? The ingredient is not effective on nails or it is not effective at treating fungus?

Honestly, even before I put on this nail polish, I noticed too many “discrepancies” for my liking but as long as its 3-free (no DBP, Formaldehyde or Toulene) I’m happy to try the nail polish as nail polish.

I was sent four separate colors, and a top coat, for review. The colors are a light petal pink, a more electric one and a “true” red.

The top coat was nothing special. It dried relatively quickly but it pulled the base color which does not make it ideal for sealing in nail art. This type of pulling and base removal is one of my biggest pet peeves and I cannot overlook it!

 

Forever Girl is a light petal pink. I applied four (yes, 4!) coats and the result was still patchy and streaky. The formula is thin and floods the cuticles easily. My camera is very forgiving in daylight but as you can see in both photos below this polish is no good.

bottleshotingrass

 

My Girl is your typical bright pink. It appears more electric in the sun. I achieved “acceptable” opacity with 3 coats but the final result is just as streaky as Forever Girl. The formula is very thin and immediately floods the cuticles. However, this polish’s one redeeming quality is that it cleans up very easily (which is rare with a color like this). It’s a shame really because I loved this color against my skin tone.

pink2pinkwbottle_edited-1

 

First Kiss is a true candy apple red . I am pleasantly surprised with this formula. It is thin but not streaky and I reach full opacity after two coats. If I am in a rush I might get away with one coat but there is a slightly visible nail line.

red

red2_edited-1

 

Final Thoughts: The formulas were subpar (there are much better ones out there). I could forgive this major flaw if the colors were ones I could not live without. Even after looking at the full selection on the daniPRO website I am 100% sure every other nail polish brand out there sells them. The top coat pulls the color and does not given the same glossy finish as others I’ve tried. It will, however, work well in creating DIY jellies.

At $18.00 a pop you’re better off buying Zoya. Their polishes are cheaper, have better formulas in the exact same colors and more.

daniPRO social media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

A Class Act Watermarble Nail Art

16 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by in Nail Art, Reviews

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Press sample.

Here is another nail art look with the new Class Act polishes from SinfulColors! The word on the nail art streets is SinfulColors polishes watermarble well and in my experience they do; the real question, however, is how well do the demi-mattes marble when mixed with regular cremes? Check out the photo below and draw your own conclusions!

I hope you like it!

 

A Class Act Watermarble Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBases: Whiteboard, Energetic Red

Marble & Detail: Energetic Red, Feel the Vibe, V.I.Peach

 

If you are interested in the individual colors check out my reviews here and here and the Sinful Colors social media pages below!

Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

A Class Act from SinfulColors | Sugar-Spun Nail Art

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in Nail Art

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Press sample.

Here is the first of the SinfulColors nail art I am going to post this month. I only used polishes from the new A Class Act collection, out this month at Walgreens and Rite Aid.

I had to see how the demi-mattes sugar-spun and I have to say…they totally do! I had to be careful because the polishes dried a little gloopy but that only means I have to turn/mix the polish a little more frequently!

Hope you like it!

 

Sugar-Spun Nail Art with SinfulColors | The Rite of AgingBase: SinfulColors Fig

Sugar-Spin: SinfulColors Blackboard, Whiteboard

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

 

Don’t forget to check out SinfulColors’ social media pages below:

Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

SinfulColors – A Class Act Collection (Partial Review): Part Two

03 Monday Aug 2015

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Press sample: items were provided for honest review.

Here is the second part of the new SinfulColors A Class Act collection review.

A Class Act hits the shelves of Walgreens and Rite Aid in August. The collection consists of 27 polishes whose formulas range from cremes to glitters and demi-mattes. I chose polishes in every formula to get a good idea of the collection as a whole.

There are three Walgreens exclusive shades I will mark with an asterisk. Are they worth tracking down? Let’s find out!

 

V.I.Peach – 3 or 4 coats, no top coat

SinfulColors Swatch - V.I.Peach | The Rite of AgingV.I.Peach is a pastel canary yellow demi-matte creme. The consistency is thin and streaky and can take up to three or four coats to reach full opacity. The streaks dry down well but they are still visible if I look closely enough. The formula is closer to Whiteboard than to Hazed (two demi-mattes I reviewed in the first post) which makes it more favorable to me. For a yellow, this one is awesome!

 

Fig – 3 coats, top coat

SinfulColors Swatch - Fig | The Rite of AgingFig is a dark violet with red shimmer that does not transfer to the actual nail. It is very similar to Zoya’s Haven which I prefer. Fig has a decent formula, a little on the thicker side which pools quickly into the cuticles. The polish dries to a dull finish, not matte, just dull.

 

Rebel Rose – 3 coats, top coat

SinfulColors Swatch - Rebel Rose | The Rite of Aging

When I first saw Fig and Rebel Rose in the bottles I thought they mistakenly sent me two of the same color. It was a welcome surprise to see they are completely different on the nail. Rebel Rose is a cool-leaning dusty bright purple with an almost duochrome shimmer. The color is very similar to China Glaze’s Caribbean Temptation. The duochrome fades with top coat but the shimmer remains. The formula is good and does not pool into the cuticles. The polish self-levels nicely so if I want to wear it without top coat I definitely can!

 

Energetic Red – 3 coats, top coat

SinfulColors Swatch - Energetic Red | The Rite of Aging

Energetic Red is a bright, borderline neon coral creme. The color is IDENTICAL to Sephora by OPI Cover Me in Petals and a more pastel version of my favorite OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where? It has a decent formula which is comparable to the OPI polish. I definitely recommend wearing three coats as I still saw minor bald spots after two. Energetic Red does not self-level well so top coat is a must and it does stain a little which is typical for any coral polish. If you are looking for a replacement to the now discontinued SOPI polish or a less expensive version of the OPI one, this SinfulColors is the way to go!

 

*Blackboard – 3 coats, no top coat

SinfulColors Swatch - Blackboard | The Rite of Aging

Blackboard is a demi-matte black. It is not a true black but more of a dark charcoal. The formula is consistent with the other demi-mattes I tried (V.I.Peach, Whiteboard and Hazed). It is streaky at first but builds up nicely after three or four coats. After the polish dries brushstrokes are barely visible and the finish really resembles a blackboard! This is definitely the most interesting polish of the lot.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really like the polishes I tried (with the exception of Hazed and Fig). I especially like the demi-mattes and cremes. The cremes all have great formulas and while the demi-mattes are streaky, they build up nicely. The shimmers are alright if not a little thick and if I had to choose only one polish from this roundup it would most certainly be Whiteboard (which so happens to be a Walgreens exclusive)!

I think there are a good range of polishes for the back to school season. Some hang on to the days of summers while other gladly welcome the fall. Some I would prefer on my toes for the last of the sandal season while others I would definitely save for the fingertips. And, for $1.99 it is definitely worth picking up more than one!

 

I will be feature a few nail art looks with the Class Act collection over the next month so definitely look out for those!

And, don’t forget to check out SinfulColors’ social media pages:

Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.